PlayStation Theater

1515 Broadway,

New York,
NY10036

Your welcome Bill!
I was there for the 2001 reissue, It was something that all fans of huge 70mm roadshow films should get to experience. I still have my ticket tucked away someplace, gotta go find it. I plan on going there one last time to see the village, will any of you cinematreasures folks be there as well?

Your welcome Bill!
I was there for the 2001 reissue, It was something that all fans of huge 70mm roadshow fans should get to experience. I still have my ticket tucked away someplace, gotta go find it. I plan on going there one last time to see the village, will any of you cinematreasures folks be there as well?

Plus the AMC Empire 25 & Loews Ewalk 13 are only eight blocks away, I agree it was not the best location for a movie theatre.
Now back to the Astor Plaza, anyone have any memories they would like to share? I’ll always remember seeing Apocalypse Now, 2001 & 2010, Indiana Jones & Titanic in the Astor Plaza, It will be cherished memories I will never forget. It’s just not the same seeing movies in a shoebox cookie cutter multiplex nowadays!

Thanks, Theatrefan, for posting Loews' farewell to the Astor Plaza. I guess it’s better than nothing, but instead of shilling for popcorn and plugging The Village it sure would’ve been nice to see Star Wars there one more time.

Here’s a picture of the last real glory days of the Astor Plaza, almost 3 years ago, when they showed their final 70mm film:

What made Loews think the new theater on 34ths St would make it. They had the beautiful 34th St Showplace on the east side when I lived in NYC which along with Cineplex Odeon 34th St East have closed in recent years. I use to work on 34th and 8th at Bowery Sasvings bank in the late 70’s and that area was not the greatest area to be after regular business hours.

Loew’s has been trying to drum up business for the 34th Street plex for over a year and since it opened. Last year they did the buy one and get your next visit at half price. They have a lower admission price. But still I don’t go to that theatre. I found the 34th Street Theatre a somewhat of a nice design. But not a winner of a theatre in my book.

Apparently Loews Cineplex is trying to increase patronage for the Astor Plaza on its last weekend as a movie theatre. I received this in an email from them:

Our Gift To You for Three Decades of Movie Magic At Loews Theatres Astor Plaza 1. Visit Astor Plaza 1 in Manhattan at 1515 Broadway during its closing weekend (July 30 – August 1, 2004) and you will receive a handout with three coupons valid for Loews Theatres 34th St.:
– Buy One, Get One Free Mid-Week Ticket
– One Upgrade to Reserved Seating
– $1.00 Off A Super Value Bucket
In addition, Loews will conduct a raffle for an Annual Pass. The Astor Plaza 1 will be screening the highly anticipated new blockbuster from M. Night Shyamalan (“The Sixth Sense,” “Signs”), “The Village”, starring Joaquin Pheonix. See Coupon for details

Is this the best they could do for a 70â€™s era deluxe movie palace? Try to drum up business for the 34th Street. Sheesh!!! What about a Film retrospective for the true fans of the Astor Plaza?

In the last two posts about the Astor Plaza, rhett and saps sat in a 1500 seat theatre with only 15/50 people in the auditorium. Even with big films like “Spiderman 2” the theatre can only pull in less then 50 people for a show. In the 80’s-90’s in Los Angeles. Some theatre chains would keep historic theatres open as long as they could by off setting profits from other profit plexes in the company. But the american movie going public loves those mega-plexes that the chains have built. And the true Event movie is now on 3000 plus screens, so why travel from your local plex. This year we loss the Astor Plaza in New York, earlier this year Los Angeles lost the Century Plaza Theatre. Both 70’s style modern palaces for the new generation of movie going, which only seems to have lasted 30 or so years. In today’s operation costs the Roxy and the Capitol could never have survived, because of the real size of the auditoriums.

I was there recently, too, at a matinee with about 50 other people. I sat in five different locations to get their different perspectives, including the last row. It was thrilling to see that vast expanse of seats, dozens of rows cascading down to the giant screen, curtained in red. The slow, graceful sweep of that curved curtain closing at the end of the feature brought a lump to my throat, knowing that it will soon be stilled. When the houselights came on, I took one last long look and left through the exit at the opposite side, so I could walk one last time around the back behind the auditorium, passing (and peeking in) the rear balcony exit, going across the lobby, up the escalator and out to the street.

I know it’s not the Roxy or the Capitol but it was the only one I had and I am going to miss it.

Well, I did my part for the group, left my dwelling in rainsoaked NJ and ventured into NYC to the Astor Plaza possibly for the final time (unless I go to The Village next week) to see Spiderman 2. There was about 15 people in the audience and 2 people working. The person who tore my ticket was blank and unfriendly and didn’t even say “thank you enjoy the show”…but I guess I understand as she will be without a job as of next week.

I have to say the presentation (of the movie) was great. Good projection, excellent digital sound, large screen. I actually liked the movie, but it took me a long while before I got into it as I kept reminicsing about previous films and picturing the ones I never saw there (star wars etc).

My digital camera crapped out on me but maybe I’ll go again next week, maybe not. It’s a good theatre. The line outside was for MTV’s TRL show featuring some rapper. I’m sure the Astor Plaza will now guarantee tha tall the teens will get a seat now.

The Astor Plaza is going going gone. Time to say goodbye. In a few years there will be practically no single screen theaters left in the east Coast, save a few. We all have to savor our memories. Thank god (for me at least) for the Lafayette Theater in Suffern NY. In Sept. They’re having a Sci-Fi fest. (Them, 2001, Planet of Apes etc) and then they start the new series(Caine Mutiny,Gunga Din, Sting etc.) Single screen, Wurlitzer organ, curtains, a good expereince all. A theater like that can be saved, but the Astor Plaza owned by a corporation must face it’s end to please the teens. At least it didn’t go out with Catwoman.

And on Broadway. If Loew’s and AMC had not built those large plexes on 42nd Street. The Times Square Theatres like the Astor Plaza and Criterion and the Embassy Tri-plex would have had a chance to survive for a few more years.

It looks like the last picture to play the Astor Plaza will be The Village. I am not sure why they are putting in a new movie for the last week. They would have been better to show some of there classic premiere films like For Pete’s Sake, Star Wars, Raiders. I am glad that Spike Lee’s new film ISN’T going to be there. This theater need to go out in style and class and Spike Lee has neither.